CSHJR 10(FSH): Relating to the management of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries and the protection and restoration of the Steller sea lion.
00 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10(FSH) 01 Relating to the management of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska 02 groundfish fisheries and the protection and restoration of the Steller sea lion. 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 WHEREAS the population of Steller sea lions has substantially declined over the past 05 25 years; and 06 WHEREAS the National Marine Fisheries Service has listed the western Alaska 07 population of Steller sea lions as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and 08 WHEREAS the reasons for the decline in the population of Steller sea lions are 09 poorly understood; under one theory, the decline is associated with the harvest of groundfish, 10 including pollock, Pacific cod, and Atka mackerel; and 11 WHEREAS the National Marine Fisheries Service, as the result of litigation and 12 criticism by a federal district court, has undertaken a series of increasingly strict restrictions 13 on groundfish fishing in more than 100,000 square miles of fishing areas in the waters off 14 Alaska; and 15 WHEREAS the National Marine Fisheries Service lacks an adequate scientific basis 16 for such restrictions on groundfish fishing and has not explained why the restrictions are
01 scientifically or legally necessary; and 02 WHEREAS a United States District Court order in July 2000, banned all trawlers 03 from fishing within 20 miles of 122 rookeries and haul-outs and three large "at-sea foraging 04 areas" in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska from Prince William Sound to the Aleutian 05 Islands chain; and 06 WHEREAS the court order would significantly restrict the groundfish fisheries off 07 Alaska and dramatically alter the conservative and proven management plans that have been 08 continually refined and strengthened over the past 20 years; and 09 WHEREAS the November 30, 2000, biological opinion for the Bering Sea/Aleutian 10 Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries that was prepared by the National Marine 11 Fisheries Service had the effect of closing the majority of the groundfish fishery and 12 suggested similar restrictions in the salmon and herring fisheries; and 13 WHEREAS the economic loss to the groundfish fishing fleet in the Bering Sea and 14 Gulf of Alaska is estimated to be up to $500,000,000 if the regulations remain in effect 15 through the first half of 2001; and 16 WHEREAS additional immeasurable economic losses would be suffered by 17 businesses, families, and individuals who rely on this fishery for economic support and by 18 state and local governments that receive taxes from this fishery; and 19 WHEREAS the United States Congress, through the efforts of Senator Ted Stevens, 20 has been able to delay to some extent the full impact of these regulations and new measures 21 proposed in the biological opinion of November 30, 2000; and 22 WHEREAS, during 2001, the United States Department of Commerce and the 23 National Marine Fisheries Service are to cooperate with the North Pacific Fishery 24 Management Council and the National Academy of Sciences in conducting an independent 25 scientific review of the November 30, 2000, biological opinion for the Bering Sea/Aleutian 26 Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries; to prepare proposed conservation and 27 management measures for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish 28 fisheries; to develop and implement a coordinated comprehensive research and recovery 29 program for the Steller sea lion; and to provide funds for payment to communities, businesses, 30 groups, and individuals to mitigate the economic losses caused by Steller sea lion protection 31 measures;
01 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature expresses its support for the 02 efforts of the United States Congress and Senator Ted Stevens to place restrictions on the 03 implementation of the alternatives contained in the November 30, 2000, biological opinion 04 prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service; and be it 05 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature also expresses its support 06 for the independent scientific review of the November 30, 2000, biological opinion for the 07 Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries; and be it 08 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the 09 United States Department of Commerce, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the North 10 Pacific Fishery Management Council to develop a scientifically sound and legally sufficient 11 management program for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish 12 fisheries that maintains the pollock, Pacific cod, and Atka mackerel fisheries in conjunction 13 with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 for the protection and restoration of the Steller sea 14 lion by December 31, 2002 and to develop measures to restore listed endangered species that 15 minimize adverse economic consequences on affected fishing industries and communities. 16 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald L. Evans, United 17 States Secretary of Commerce; the Honorable William T. Hogarth, Acting Assistant 18 Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, United States Department of Commerce; 19 and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and 20 the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in 21 Congress.